The trio rushed toward the west wing of the second floor where all the guests were settled.
They ran down the corridor tracking the chamber from where the cries were coming.
They stood in front of door and could here the cry for help clearly.
"Please not today please, I don't want to." A small voice begged from behind the doors. And the strings of please and sobs continued.
Meera pushed the door but the door was bolted from the inside. The cry grew and Meera couldn't take it anymore.
"Jamila will you be able to break the door ?" Meera asked.
"Say no more." Jamila said and raised her leg to kick the door. The door unhinged and fell on the floor with a thud, what stood in front of Meera froze her blood in her veins.
Avantika, the same 18-19 year old she had seen on her first night durning the Dawaat was pushed along the mattress, naked and a man almost four times her age was on top her abusing her body.
The man sprung out of bed and pulled the bed cover to cover himself, leaving the sobbing Avantika alone who tried to cover herself with the pillows, her eyes were swollen and red with tears running down her cheeks. Meera walked towards her and picked up the torn discarded saree from the floor and wrapped it around her. Avantika looked into Meera's eyes and a loud sob escaped her mouth, a loud cry that would put a wounded animal to shame.
Meera looked into her eyes and wiped her tears with her thumb, burring Avantika's head into her chest and allowed her to cry.
"Jamila, take this man out, I want him in the court tomorrow." Meera commanded.
"You can not misbehave with me, I am the guest of the king, I'm his minister and her husband moreover." The old man who was now decent protested pulling himself from Jamila's grip.
"Lower your voice, do not forget I am the Queen." Meera boomed.
"Jamila I want him out of my site, right now." Meera commanded and Jamila and Hania shook with fear, they never knew the calm docile Meera had such power in her.
Meera escorted the trembling Avantika to her room where she was given a fresh set of clothes to change and was put to bed.
Meera couldn't sleep a wink the entire night, the scene from before kept playing in her head.
As the morning sun rose from behind the mountains, Meera still tossed and turned unable to sleep, she looked to her left to see Avantika curled up in a ball sleeping peacefully like a baby.
She looked closer at the girl who was probably a couple of years younger to her, she was too thin and frail, her dark circles prominent against her pale skin and even though her past had not been merciful on her, it couldn't steal her beauty from her.
Her soft features could have captured anyone's attention then why did she marry a man four times her age who treated her like an animal.
Hania at this moment walked into Meera's room with a tray in hand.
"Salam Malika."
"You came early Hania, did you not sleep at all ?"
"I couldn't." She said placing the tray on the table in the connecting balcony where Meera likes to have her breakfast. "The scene from yesterday was so haunting, I couldn't bring myself to close my eyes." She said walking towards Meera.
"Wouldn't she be a year or two older than I am ? And she has been married to Bilal Ahmed sahab for the past three years, to think of all that she has been through in those three years, I can't even ." She said looking away.
Moment on the bed stopped Meera from replying, their attention shifted to the young lady who was stretching herself like a Hurayrah (cat) her eyes still closed, disconnected from the world.
Hania and Meera chuckled looking at her.
The sound of laughter made the sleeping girl open her eyes with a start to look at the queen and her maid. She tried to get up clumsily from the bed and in the process fell down earning a full blown laughter from her two spectators.
"You silly girl." Meera said laughing and shaking her head. "Get up now, or do you like the floor too much ?"
Avantika stood up, red with embarrassment, her eyes never lifting from the ground.
"Cmon get up, Hania will show you to your new room so that I can sleep a little you kept kicking me all night." Meera teased and a loud gasp escaped from Avantika's mouth.
"I'm sorry my Queen I didn't mean to, I'm so sorry please forgive me it won't ever-."
"Relax." Meera said laughing at the flustered Avantika. "I was just pulling your leg, now off you go with Hania and let her kn-."
Meera was cut by her bedroom doors being pushed open. Kanika entered her bedroom wearing a ferozi blue lehnga.
"Like I was saying, let Hania know if you need anything else." Meera forced a smile on her face.
As soon as the the door shut behind, Meera, Meera picked up the book she was reading and headed to her joint balcony, avoiding Kanika's presence.
Kanika followed her.
"Are you going to avoid me all my life ? Because until you forgive me I'm going to follow you and if you don't forgive me before I die I'll haunt you and this palace and no baba, fakir, tantrik will be successful in getting rid of me, so it's better that you forgive me Meera, I say you forgive me right now or then I'll have to haunt-."
"Will you stop Kanika ?" Meera said trying to hide her smile, glimpse her old friend could be seen in the lady standing before her. "My ears will start bleeding with your blabbering." Meera smiled at Kanika her dimples on display.
"Well good for you that you have forgiven me. Now cmon order some breakfast for me my queen I'm hungry." Kanika placing herself on the opposite chair, her legs propelled on the arm rest.
The two caught up on a hearty breakfast, laughing, giggling, gossiping.
It was a few hours before mid day, while the two were still talking that the doors opened unceremoniously and a disheveled Jamila entered calling for Meera.
"In the balcony Jamila." Meera called.
"Malika, ya Allah." Jamila panted.
"What's wrong Jamila, did Hania steal your atar again ?" Meera laughed remembering the last time Jamila and Hania had involved her in their childish banter.
"Malika, Badesha, he has summoned you in the court immediately." Jamila said frantically.
"So ?" Meera asked confused. It was normal for the king to summon his queen for advice, his father had often consulted Rani Maa on matters.
"So ? I don't know how your courts function, but Mughal do not let their women step inside a court. Women are restricted to the viewing galleries.
"Well we'll find out once we get there right ? Let's go we don't want Haider to wait." Meera said, she pinned her dupatta properly and followed Jamila.
"Stay here if you wish to, we'll continue after I come." Meera said smiling at Kanika and closed the door behind her.
"If I stay here, who is going to plan your downfall dear friend." Kanika said with an evil smile plastered on her face.
"Happy days are over Meera Haider Ali Khan."
——————
In the harem court, Zulekha's eyes were brimmed with tears, it was difficult staying away from her parents, although her aunt had dotted her with love just as her mother would nobody would replace Mariam Ejaz Ali, her mother.
"Ammi why do you have to leave so soon ?" Zulekha cried holding on to her mothers arms.
"We have a kingdom to look after meri jaan, if we fail, Haider will pick your father out and throw him away like a fly out of food and someone else will take our place." Mariam said wiping tears off her daughters cheeks.
"Had you married Haider, things would have been different today."
"I tried, I tried Ammi I did. I love him, I really do. It rips me apart to watch th..that female hold the title as his wife, I love him mother." Zulekha cried further.
"Zulekha my darling." Mariam said pushing Zulekha's chin up to meet her eyes. "You are smart and you are beautiful, you have a wonderful body Zulekha, a woman's body is her asset, use your brain, you beauty and your body my child. And Islam gives a man the right to have four wives my love."
Zulekha looked at her mother and understood the meaning behind her words, if she had to get Haider using a different path than the one she had decided she would, she was going to do it, she wanted Haider and she would have him.